Sunday, 18 June 2017

Hassan Haffar - Cassette from Syria

Hassan Haffar, who was part of the "Muezzins d'Alep" of our previous post, is one of the most famous Munshidin (singers of religious or Sufi songs) of recent decades in Aleppo, Syria. He toured a couple of times in the west, especially in France, where two CDs were released, and at the Fez Festival. See below one of the CDs.

Our dear friend Danny bought this cassette many years ago in Syria and was so kind to share it with us. Many thanks to him.

With an excellent booklet in French, English & Arabic including the
sung poems.

„Hassan Haffar is the soloist in the eleven 'Aleppo Suites' presented here,
performing with great freedom of expression. His musical and vocal skills blend
introspection and sensuality and these three albums confirm him to be a master
of the genre...Muezzin at the Great Mosque in Aleppo, Hassan Haffar was born in
the city in 1943. A true craftsman, he was singled out for the quality,
precision and strength of his voice. He was the pupil of the hymnodists Bakri
Kurdi, Sabri Mudallal and 'Abd Al Ra'uf Hallaq...Accompanied by a chorus made up
of his pupils he entrances the listener with the rich fullness of his lower
register and the precision of his upper register. His brillant range and vocal
power do not, however, exclude a rare subtlety and an exquisite refinement... “